Karaoke Forums

I have NO PROBLEMS with older(ie 70+) singers. In fact I welcome them. But if they become a problem of any kind they will be told to move on(and it's usually the bartenders or bouncers who do this).

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"You know that I sing the Blues and I do not suffer fools. When I'm on that silver mic, it's gonna cut ya, just like a knife"-The SWINGCAT

When I was a KJ, we had a pretty strong network of spinners & singers. If there was someone in the area who was becoming a menace, the word spread quickly through the community. That way, the minute the person in question got out of line they'd get one warning before they got bounced.

Then again, most troublemakers aren't really contributing to the bar's coffers so they're expendable.

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Karaoke should be a selfish pleasure.
Check out my Facebook page "Griff's Karaoke Adventures" to see how many tunes I can do without repeating!

Spinners???? around here that means a cute lady, about 5ft tall or less.......and they can sing all they want, no matter how off tune they can get.........

Well, Johnny, a long, long time ago in an industry far, far away...

The abbreviation DJ came from the phrase Disc Jockey. No, not compact discs, but these rare ancient pieces of pressed and grooved circles of magical vinyl held musical notes arranged in a baffling sequence which created wonderful melodies.

Brave men (and later women) would dare to place these plastic discs on a platform that would rotate (or spin) the disc. Once the mystic arm of translation was placed upon the spinning grooves, music issued forth. These courageous people became known as "spinners" in certain parts of the vast realm.

Although the transmission of mystical melodies evolves, the modern day disc still revolves. Thus, the legend of the spinners continues...

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Karaoke should be a selfish pleasure.
Check out my Facebook page "Griff's Karaoke Adventures" to see how many tunes I can do without repeating!

This just feels like it belongs here...

I can hardly believe this thread!

Ok, first and foremost, it's karaoke, not world hunger.

Second, no one is paying these singers-, and you get what you pay for- good or bad.

Now, as for business: I have a regular that has been coming to ALL of my shows for at least ten (maybe fifteen) years. Her singing is is awful, and she is one of the most loveable friendly folks I know.

She usually anchors, by request. Not hers, not mine, but the other regulars.

First, they love her, and second, they love to follow her.

True, and has another great effect. Newbies come in, hear her, and figure if SHE can do it, anyone can.

One venue loves her because when she come up, EVERYONE buys a shot ( originally just to deal with it, and now it's simply a tradition).

Also, because she has so much fun, any time I get a new venue she probably promotes it even more than I do, and she knows singers all over the place ( She hits other shows when I'm off).

Anyone who is happy and well behaved is welcome on my mic- period.

Almost forgot. The "too old to sing" comments:

Not only classless, but clueless. I've got 70 year olds that get surrounded by young twinkie women whenever they sing. Got a few in their 80's on occasion too- same result.

Two in their 70's have actually become lounge singers in their own right. In other words, they get PAID to sing.

Folks, karaoke is about having fun. Anyone- of any age or ability- who is capable of having fun should be able to do so without snide remarks from those being paid to help them in that pursuit.

As for those with disabilities of some sort - of ANY age - I relish the chance to give what happiness I can to them. That's why I am a Karaoke Host.

I have only 2 regulars who fit this description, but run into others on occasion. The have to wait their turn in the order, so the few times they get up ( not usually late-night folks) should not be a problem for even the most intolerant.

Compassion is not only good for business, it's good for the soul...

If one does not enjoy ALL facets of hosting karaoke, one might consider selling siding instead...

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"No Contests, No Divas, Just A Good Time!"

" Disc based and loving it..."

Joe, that lady you are referring to doesn't fit "my description" of the god-awful karaoke singer. It sounds like her personality and age makes up for what she lacks in singing ability. And to clarify, I recognize that there are certain and rare situations where a singer is so bad that they run off customers. And, as mentioned, I've never barred anyone bad singers on my own - although I have been known to lose "drunk slips" on occasion.

I agreed with the OP that those situations can and sometimes do exist where it may become neccesary to pull the plug on someone who is running off business. And, I'm not talking about a bar full of people and just losing 1 or 2 - I'm talking about the slower bars with 4-8 singers and a regular clientele that won't tolerate a super-god-awful singer every 20-30 minutes. At that point, karaoke is doing more harm to the business than good.

So, in that situation, are you saying that, if the bar owner said "That guy is running customers out. Let him sing one song and that's it" - you would not abide by it - and therefore lose the show? Or, would you try to find a reasonable (and legal) way to resolve it (without hurting anyone's feelings any more than need be).

It's easy to take the moral high ground when you haven't had to climb upon the slippery slope.

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I'm not a cheerleader, but I paid for my pom poms with my own money!

If you would please be kind enough to explain how you would handle the above ( not the bar owner or anyone else- YOU), I would greatly appreciate your input.

P.S.: In answering, please keep in mind that one negative customer is way more powerful than 10 positives- simply because they will (@$%&#!) to more people out of hurt feelings or aggravation....

Also, please keep in mind that I have built my rep on my sig line below.

OK, go ahead.....

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"No Contests, No Divas, Just A Good Time!"

" Disc based and loving it..."

For the run of the mill bad singers who are ever so faithful at my shows, I will post song suggestions to their facebook. I did this with one lady that is super nice, but is simply not a good singer by any stretch of the imagination. I gave up until one time, she sang one of my songs and actually did a pretty good job at it. I told her "THAT'S YOUR KEY!". So now, I am back to those song suggestions, and everything I suggest is in that key.

I've also been known to provide compilation disks on very rare occasions for those singers who just won't step outside of their 1-2 song comfort zone. (I never sell them and they are truly for educational purposes only).

But for that terrible singer who is so bad that they insult the bar with every note? To be honest, nothing. I'd have to be forced (by someone or some circumstance) to "say" something. Instead, I'd play the old "I lost your slip" routine, then "forgot about you" and then, maybe later "Oh shoot. I'm sorry. We're out of time".

Call me a coward, whatever. I'd rather have them think that I did a terrible job than tell them that they are SO bad that they have been cut off from karaoke. Let them complain about me, if they are too stupid to figure it out for themselves. And, I promise you that the situation will have been so bad and so often with that person that every time they complain to someone about me, that person they are complaining to will probably be nodding their head in agreement while thinking, to themselves - "Good for Troy!"

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I'm not a cheerleader, but I paid for my pom poms with my own money!

Come on now. That is just plain insulting to say:
they are too stupid to figure it out for themselves There are many people out there who are horrendous when it comes to singing, and yet, they haven't a clue as to how bad they really are. That doesn't make them STUPID. This can also be attributed to their friends who egg them on or encourage them to keep singing. Look at American Idol (btw, something I refuse to watch)... In the beginning of their seasons, they highlight some of these very same people (which you are speaking of), and make fun of them, and publicly humiliate them on National TV. And yet, these singers still insist that they are the next best thing to hit their show, and then their friends are backing them up with comments like, "These judges couldn't tell real talent if it were a snake that bit them on the A**."

I'm reminded of a show we did about 1/2 a block from the campus of large university. The bar catered to the Just-Turned-21-and-Out-On-My-Own crowd. The clear majority of people who sang that night were "men" in their early twenties (inexperienced drinkers), obviously showing off for their friends and ladies, and having a blast doing it. Most of the performances consisted of little more than shouting or "wooooooooo"-ing into the microphone, belting the chorus out, and milling around onstage. It was obvious that a lot of people had a sloppy good time, but I watched countless groups of people come in, have a drink, watch one or two songs, then leave. I could clearly see that the conduct and/or ability of the singers was having an adverse effect on the evening.

What we learned was that a venue in the middle of college drinking territory was not the best place to play, so we stay away from those venues now.

The openness of karaoke DOES invite the potential for persistantly terrible performances. I guess the way around it is to attract more "quality" singers to the show. An audience will tolerate, and even applaud, the worst of hack-jobs, but nobody wants to sit through a whole show of 'em.

This conversation is mutating; the original topic was more about people who are inept at singing, not drunk & disorderly while singing. Although the two can intermingle, they are pretty much two distinct concerns.

I don't know a single KJ out there that hasn't pulled a mic from a belligerent drunk or some joker who screams into the mic to "make a funny". Playing goalie is just the cost of doing business and sometimes you have to guard the net.

However, is it a moral or business issue when you have a blatantly horrific singer and you cut them off or refuse their slip?

Honestly, if they're sincere and suck, I'd keep them in the rotation. If they're doing it to pull an "Andy Kaufman", then they're gone. Agitators have no place in any social situation. Any perceptive KJ can tell if someone is trying to work them.

It usually falls to a personal judgement call, but that's how I did it BITD.

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Karaoke should be a selfish pleasure.
Check out my Facebook page "Griff's Karaoke Adventures" to see how many tunes I can do without repeating!

There is one girl at one bar we go to sometimes that sings thru her nose and is off key most of the time. Yet her family and friends all encourage her and even went so far as to convince her she was good enough to try out for The Voice. Nope she did not get chosen for the show. They just keep telling her she's good and they keep encouraging her to keep singing. Thing is if she ever actually took some vocal lessons she might actually be good but her mom and dad keep just letting her do things the way she is doing them.

(yes I really mean a girl as in under 21. the bar serves food so she can be in there)

Very disappointed in you Johnny! Figured you would say a woman missing a couple limbs!

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KingBing Entertainment C'mon Up! I have a song for you!!! [font=MS Sans Serif][/font]

Even I draw the line somewhere.......actually growing up....this term meant one that, when in the female dominant position, you could spin her around like a top.........

I had the wife of an owner say "Kevin can only sing once a night, he's running off our customers" A few months later they closed the doors and I'm going to suggest that possibly Kevin was not the problem.

I think you are on to something, Rick........

Great post Joe Chartreuse. I think awhile back somewhere on this forum there was a thread about Woo Karaoke ( http://www.wookaraoke.com/ I notice there aren't any photos there from the last couple years--perhaps the character of her show is changing?), and the same questions were raised. I like shows where there are a wide variety of singers and types of songs. I have been at shows that turn from a regular show into a "high energy show", where the host starts steering the singers towards certain types of songs to keep the energy level up. Not my cup of tea. On the other hand, if people of their own free will just happen to be turning in slips that are high energy songs, that is fine. But if somebody sings Stayin' Alive, and that is followed by a country music tear-jerker, that is fine too. Freedom to sing whatever you want, no coercion.

OK, in my less than humble opinion, we have a lot of folks on this thread that have spent too much time watching American Idol, and have forgotten what karaoke is really all about- pure fun for the patron.

Run your contests, scare off newbies, hurt some feelings, and enjoy yourselves- as your singers come to me, where FUN is the priority.

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"No Contests, No Divas, Just A Good Time!"

" Disc based and loving it..."

I spent some time reading this site early today. With all due respect to her and her show and her worldwide popularity, I would never regular patronize a show where it is possible I may never get up on stage. I enjoy watching people sing, but I enjoy singing and singing what *I* want to sing, when I want to sing it.

At least she explains it on her web site, though I would argue with the "no nonsense" aspect of it as it all seems like nonsense to me.

-Chris

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-Chris